All concert, competition and festival organizers are reminded to list their Future Events for 2012 in the Accordion-YellowPages.com website. Its free to list and you can do it yourself. You can also change and update your listing yourself as further information becomes available.

Huge numbers of readers, more than 50,000 per week, view the Future Events calendar display, so all accordion event organizers are reminded to take full advantage of this free service to keep the accordion community informed.

Hunter Hayes Receives Grammy Nominations

Hunter Hayes, receiving nominations in three categories, was announced as a Best New Artist nominee for the 2013 Grammy Awards after his performance at the The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! held at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday night (December 5) in Nashville, Tenn.

Hunter is up against Alabama Shakes, FUN., The Lumineers and Frank Ocean. He also received nominations for Best Country Album, "Hunter Hayes" and Best Country Solo Performance for "Wanted". 21 year old Hunter Hayes is nominated along with Eric Church for ‘Springsteen’, Dierks Bentley for ‘Home’,Ronnie Dunn for ‘Cost of Livin’, Blake Shelton for ‘Home’ and Carrie Underwood for ‘Blown Away’.Hunter is tied with Taylor Swift for the most country music nominations.

Many years ago at the age of four, singing “Jambalaya” with Hank Williams Jr. in front of 200,000 people (11 million YouTube views); appearing with Robert Duvall (who gave Hunter his first guitar) in “The Apostle” at the age of six; playing with Johnny and June Cash, and Charlie Daniels at a BBQ; performing for President Clinton and many more. those experiences are simply the natural result of Hunter’s prodigal talent, one that’s been there from the beginning and one that he’s always conscious to be in service to.

Having moved to Nashville, Hayes was quickly signed to Universal Music Publishing Group where he co-wrote songs for Rascal Flatts and Montgomery Gentry. At the same time, he was introduced to Atlantic Records’ Chairman/CEO and music visionary Craig Kallman, who he signed with at Atlantic Records. “I’m blessed to be surrounded by people who appreciate music and support what I do. Atlantic Records Nashville released his debut single "Storm Warning" on May 16th, 2011. His self titled album was released on October 11, 2011.

Hunter Hayes was born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana in 1991, Hunter has been making music since about the time he learned to walk. “By the time I was almost two, I was picking up everything and making an instrument out of it. My grandmother gave me a toy accordion for my second birthday and I immediately began picking up Cajun songs by ear from the radio.”

While both of Hunter’s parents are music lovers, neither are musicians, so as he says, “The way I picked up music was out of left field, but, I suppose, a pleasant surprise for them.”For the Hayes’, most Friday nights in the early part of Hunter’s childhood were spent at a Cajun restaurant near their home that featured live music, and it was there where Hunter joined his first band at the age of four, first as the accordionist, and then as the front man at the age of five.

Taking up guitar at the age of 6, Hunter’s ability to pick up instruments (including bass guitar, drums, keyboards, and more) became evident. He says, “I’ve never had the patience to sit down and learn from anyone. So with the guitar, and with every subsequent instrument and piece of studio equipment, it’s been a process of experimentation – pressing every button I can.”

Songwriting, too, has been a constant undertaking of Hunter’s. “I wrote my first song at 6,” he recalls, “I spent every day with the guitar and I just made up songs.” Hunter’s songwriting has been informed by an eclectic grouping of influences. “When I was really young, Garth Brooks was enormous, and I was a huge fan. I always loved LeAnn Rimes and especially Clint Black for his soulfulness. As I’ve gotten older, my influences have broadened – John Mayer, Michael Buble, Stevie Wonder, Keith Urban, Stevie Ray Vaughn, the Beatles – all of these artists have somehow been a part of my development as a songwriter.”

Like playing and songwriting, performing has become almost second nature to Hunter who has shared the stage with Hank Williams, Jr, Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins, Leann Rimes, and Lady Antebellum . “I’ve been doing at least thirty dates a year for the past fifteen years. I’ve done a lot of the festivals several times and built up relationships with the people that go every year.

Hunter said, “Music is a spirit. It heals. It’s an amazing thing to be loved and appreciated, and sometimes, music has not just been my best friend, it’s been my only friend.” I want people to say about me, ‘I know he’s making music because he loves it.’”

The 55th Annual Grammy Awards will take place Feb. 10, 2013 at Los Angeles' Staples Center. Like the nominations, CBS will broadcast the awards show.

Festivals, Competitions, Masterclasses/Seminars/Stages, Reports etc.

Interpol Recovers Stolen Bandoneons, Buenos Aires - Argentina

Picture of press conference above. Argentinian newspapers and TV reported the recovery of two valuable stolen bandoneons. Marcelo El Haibe, Deputy of the Centre for Cultural Heritage Interpol section of the Argentina Federal Police (PFA) announced on the 27th December that an investigation started in August last year had now recovered two instruments of signficiant artistic and economic value.

The investigation established that the instruments were held by a group dedicated to stealing bandoneones and then selling them on the black market at high prices.

This group are accused of least nine robberies, their modus operandi being to use firearms to violently enter the homes of the victims and steal their bandoneon/s and other items of value such as jewelry. One victim was the musician Néstor Marconi (picture left) on 25th June.

The group would then attempt to sell the bandoneons on the black market at high prices. Haibe said "that these instruments usually go abroad because they are highly sought after" and "may be worth USD$20-30,000 depending upon the quality and age of the instrument".

Video Documentary: How Its Made, Diatonic Accordion

Temple Bar TradFest - Irland

by Diatonic News

22-27th January 2013

The Temple Bar TradFest began in 2005. Prior to this Dublin City had been lacking a festival which celebrated Traditional Irish Music and Culture for over 20 years. A voluntary membership based organization, Temple Bar Traders, which is made up of business, cultural organizations and services in the Temple Bar area came together to start the Temple Bar TradFest . Since that time the festival has continued to grow in size, recognition and quality.

Video: Ipad Hohner App Technology

Cygnet Folk Festival 2013 - Australia

by Diatonic News

11-13 January 2013

The Cygnet Folk Festival offers a unique “Village Festival” experience to performers and festival goers alike. Located in the scenic Huon Valley just fifty minutes south of Hobart, the historic village of Cygnet sits beside Port Cygnet Bay, home to the beautiful black swans which give the bay its name.

The annual 3 day event transforms the entire village of Cygnet into a vibrant festival space with undercover concerts in its heritage buildings, street performers, children's concerts, workshops, casual unplanned jam sessions in local pubs topped off with a festival parade. Add to this the restaurants, cafes and market stalls selling speciality cuisine using local organic products and other stalls selling crafts made by local artisans.

The Festival attracts local, interstate and overseas performers who enjoy performing to appreciative, attentive audiences while festival goers get to enjoy the relaxed village ambiance combined with great entertainment.

Video: Matt Sepesy Playing Ottavia Brajka Polka

Audio/Visual sample & functional performance demonstration of a diatonic button box accordion made in 1977 by Franc Susnik in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Song is from Slovenia's Ottavia Brajka.

Celtic Connection Festival - Scotland

by Diatonic News

17th January - 3rd February 2013

“It’s January, it’s Glasgow, the nights are long and cold. But with a jig here and a Scotch snap there, out of the darkness erupts the noisy winter carnival that is Celtic Connections, a riotous assembly of music and musicians drawn from five continents for an 18-day, 300-event hoedown that truly brings the city to life.”The Times

Glasgow’s annual folk, roots and world music festival, Celtic Connections celebrates Celtic music and its connections to cultures across the globe. Between 17th January – 3rd February 2013, 2,100 musicians from around the world will descend on Glasgow and bring the city to life for 18 days of concerts, ceilidhs, talks, art exhibitions, workshops, and free events.

Celtic Connections is programmed by Artistic Director (and founding member of Celtic supergroup Capercaillie) Donald Shaw, and features over 300 events across multiple genres of music.

The festival is renowned for its strong spirit of collaboration, bringing together one-off line-ups for very special one night only collaborative shows. The camaraderie between musicians continues into the wee small hours at the late-night Festival Club – home of legendary musical collaborations and spontaneous sessions.

“There are situations that you’ll see where people are playing that you’ll never see again, or if you do, it’s because it worked here first.” Donald Shaw, Artistic Director

The festival has broadened its reach over the last year and brought a taste of Celtic Connections to the Isle of Skye as part of the Year of Scotland’s Islands in March 2012. Audiences were delighted by performances from Rosanne cash, Raul Malo, Aoife O’Donovan, the Michael McGoldrick Band, Dàimh, The Deadly Gentlemen and Mànran.

Celtic Connections also visited Chicago in September 2012 as part of Year of Creative Scotland and programmed various musical performances throughout the Ryder Cup, including the Opening and Closing ceremonies along with a number of other hospitality events. Throughout the week there was an array of performers from Scotland and America, who celebrated the collaboration and long term partnerships that have developed over the festival’s history, in many performances in and around the Ryder Cup events programme. Celtic Connections also programmed two main concerts in the city of Chicago: Transatlantic Sessions premiere performance in the US at Millennium Park in partnership with World Music Festival, Chicago and a one-off show celebrating the cream of Scottish musical talent at the Harris Theater.

Video: Mendi Kantan project, Basque Country - Spain

Mendi Kantan project. Among the commemorative activities during the 50th anniversary of the Mendiko Lagunak mountain group (Amurrio, Basque Country), we planned publishing a songbook.

Along with the booklet, which includes songs and various contents related to the region, the Gorobel/Sálvada mountains and the club's history, we recorded five songs with the partnership of several musicians and amateurs.

Paolo Russo & Friends @ Jazzhus Montmartre - Copenhagen/Denmark

"Italian Paolo Russo began his career as a pianist for Etta Cameron and Caroline Henderson, but for the last ten years, he has become one of the most original bandoneon players in the world. You can hear him on the soundtrack to Susanne Bier's latest film, and he is highly sought after internationally as well. Paolo Russo manages to combine jazz standards, Italian songs, tango, brasilian music and original compositions in his own spell binding universe. This night, he brings us along for the whole journey, and during the concert, several guests will pop up and sit in. It will be an exhilarating night full of surprises."

Further information: www.paolorusso.com

BTSC PRESENTS ANDRE THIERRY AND ZYDECO MAGIC - San Diego/USA

by Diatonic News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 12 at War Memorial Hall, Balboa Park, San Diego. War Memorial Haall is located at the north end of the San Diego Zoo parking lot. Dance lesson at 6:20 p.m., and open dancing to live music by Andre Thierry (West Coast Blues Hall of Famer winner, "2012 Best Zydeco Group") 7-10:30 p.m.

Bayou Brothers in Jan 2013 - USA

by Diatonic News

Bayou Brothers with Euphoria Brass, Michele Lundeen and Sue Palmer on Piano: Walkin' To New Orleans With a sound straight out of Louisiana's dance clubs, bayou festivals and backyard crawfish boils, the Bayou Brothers will rock you right on into "Fat Tuesday" delivering a rousing, rollicking, heart thumpin', foot stompin' musical gumbo y'all won't soon forget. John Chambers and Ric Lee founded the band in 1995, and since then they have been one of the busiest full-time Louisiana-style bands on the west coast with frequent appearances at major Cajun-zydeco dance festivals in California and annual concert tours throughout Europe.

CD (old/1995) "I'm never coming back" Amede Ardoin - USA

by Diatonic News

The more or less complete recorded works (between 1929-'34) of the singer/accordionist who's generally conceded to be the father of Zydeco. Ardoin, along with his frequent partner, Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee, was certainly among the first to fuse the older French folk tradition with American country blues, and many of the songs captured here eventually made their way into the electrified modern Zydeco pioneered by Clifton Chenier. The sound here is surprisingly good, with far less surface noise than you'd expect from 78s recorded under primitive circumstances. Amede Ardoin, the Pioneer of Louisiana French Blues... Released in November 1995, 24 tracks, including: